Body-mounted camera stabilization devices are comprised of a camera equipment support structure gimbaled at its center of gravity, where it is attached to a support arm, that is in turn attached to an operator worn vest. These devices are designed to isolate a camera or similar device from the unwanted movements of a walking, running, or otherwise moving operator or operator/vehicle combination. Such stabilization devices have been used successfully and extensively for over 20 years in the motion picture and video industries, and are most commonly known as Steadicams.RTM.. Exemplary stabilization devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. Re. 32,213; 4,156,512; 4,474,439; 4,208,028; 4,394,075; and 5,579,071. Support arms are further described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,208,028 and 4,394,075. Each of the foregoing patents is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
Body-mounted camera stabilizers typically consist of a camera support structure that is attached at its center of gravity, via a 3-axis gimbal, to a support arm, and finally to an operator's vest, thus providing the desired degree of isolation from the operator. The camera support structure is approximately neutrally counterbalanced by a rigidly mounted camera at one end of a central post, and other rigidly mounted components (video monitor, battery, electronics, etc.), at the other end of the post. The camera can thus be aimed in any direction by slight hand pressure adjacent to the gimbal. The direction of these aiming motions are distinctly referred to as pan, tilt, and roll.
As defined in the art and as used herein, "roll" denotes rotation about an axis parallel to the camera's lens. "Tilt" describes rotation about a horizontal axis that is offset 90' from the lens axis. "Pan" describes rotation about an axis that runs down the center of the camera support central post.
Heretofore, incremental improvements have been made to camera stabilization devices in the areas of set-up time, the convenience of no-tools adjustability, improved dynamic balance adjustability, and even non-invasive/on-the-fly remote control of camera trim via an automated X-Y stage. However, these devices still have several operating problems relating to their inherent structure.
Since the camera and monitor are rigidly attached to the support structure, vertical camera travel, while maintaining a level camera horizon, is restricted to roughly 28 inches in standard mode, and another 28 inches in low mode. Low mode, however, requires mechanically removing the camera and reattaching it to the now inverted support structure via a special low mode bracket that is different for every camera. Additionally, the monitor must be inverted, the central post adjusted, the gimbal adjusted, a special gimbal/arm attachment bracket used, and all cables of the entire camera system must be detached and reattached. Finally, the system must be rebalanced. This time-intensive procedure must be followed every time the conversion from low to high or high to low is required. Often times, due to time constraints, the shot is eliminated, much to the chagrin of the director.
Another problem for operators of these devices relates to maintaining a level horizon, and/or correct framing relative to vertical objects in the shot. Neutral balance of these camera devices eliminates most of the unwanted forces of lateral and straight line acceleration, and allows superior isolation from the operator. However, neutral balance is seldom used because it provides little tendency for the camera system to remain level in the troublesome roll axis; attention would have to be diverted from the shot content in order to keep the camera level. Consequently, the camera support structure is set up slightly bottom-heavy (so that it weakly seeks level), and the operator is forced to deal with pendular consequences (during acceleration and deceleration) and their associated departures from level, pending the degree of bottom-heaviness and shot requirements. The operator still must focus a great deal of attention toward roll axis stability.
Additional problems arise when the shot requires clearing some type of obstacle, such as a car hood, fence, bar, desk, etc. To maintain camera level, the lower part of the support structure must be directly below the camera. There is no provision, for example, for pulling back off of an actor's face on the far side of a table, since the support structure would hit the table. A longer lens must be used to reach the actor, and consequently, the continuation of the shot is less dramatic, since longer lenses slow the apparent motion away from or toward a subject. A shot through waist high bushes would be impossible for the same reasons.
A need exists for an improved apparatus for augmenting the capabilities of camera stabilizers, in particular body-mounted camera stabilizers.
A need also exists for an improvement in the continuous vertical range of motion of body-mounted camera stabilizing devices, with accompanying elimination of low-mode brackets, low-mode conversions, and the production time lost to these conversions. More particularly, a need exists for a device which actively assists the operator by providing at least an automatically leveled camera roll axis, and which allows the operator to choose camera "level" based on usual or unusual visual references, and to continually upgrade these choices.
There is also a need for a device which provides the operator with variable control of at least the camera roll axis for "Dutch" angles or continuous rolls, and which furthermore allows neutral balance operation of the entire camera support structure, thereby minimizing pendular anomalies.
There is further a need for a device which provides the operator with a continuously level monitor, but whose inclination may be independently controlled by the operator for unusual circumstances.
A need also exists for a device which provides the operator with infinitely variable post positioning, including completely horizontal, for clearing tables, bars, bushes, etc., while automatically maintaining camera and monitor level.
A need also exists for a device which operates to defeat/lock any or all of the automated systems, and thus permits selective replication of prior art functions.